Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Toby Sanger discusses how the Trudeau Libs’ obsession with privatized infrastructure only stands to put control over public services in the hands of corporate predators: Corporations are sitting on hundreds of billions of excess cash in Canada and trillions worldwide — money they aren’t putting into productive investments. ...

This and that for your Thursday reading. – Karl Nerenberg writes about Bill Morneau’s conflicts of interest – with particular attention to the NDP’s justified criticism of legislation aimed at privatizing pension management to benefit forms like Morneau’s. And Brent Patterson discusses a push back against the Manitoba PCs’ plan to privatize public services through ...

This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Jeremy Corbyn offers a look at what the next UK Labour government plans to do – and provides an example which we should be glad to follow: The next Labour government will be different. To earn the trust of the people of our country, we must show ...

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Matthew Yglesias offers his take on how to strengthen the U.S.’ economy through full employment and improved wage and family benefits. And Richard Florida discusses how everybody can benefit if an increasingly important service sector starts to provide higher wages and better work: The only way to close ...

This and that for your Tuesday reading. – George Eaton discusses how some U.S. state governments are taking steps to fight inequality with taxes at the top of the income scale. – The Canadian Coalition for Tax Fairness is coming together to push for a tax system where everybody pays their fair share (including changes ...

This and that for your Thursday reading. – Andrew Jackson, Tavia Grant et al, Kate McInturff and Trish Hennessy each look at Statistics Canada’s new income data which shows worsening inequality and persistent poverty over the past decade. – Jordan Brennan offers a needed response to a Financial Accountability Office of Ontario report which is ...

A couple of weeks back, I examined the role of endorsements in the federal NDP’s leadership race. Now, I’ll take a quick look at where the current fund-raising numbers and distribution stand – and how they figure to relate to the NDP’s previous leadership campaigns. The closest comparison to this campaign is of course the ...

Last time fund-raising numbers were released from the federal NDP’s leadership campaign, I noted the possible significance of Peter Julian’s relative lack of donations. And the problem looked to be a double whammy for Julian: while any candidate would have reason for concern in not being able to fund a campaign as intended, it was ...

Assorted content to end your week. – Scott Sinclair writes that there’s no reason for any party to NAFTA to see itself as being stuck with the existing agreement (or worse), while also mentioning a few ways to substantially improve the rules governing North American trade: Canada should call Trump’s bluff by championing a fairer ...

The latest from the federal NDP’s leadership campaign. – Several of the candidates have been doing plenty of touring over the past week. And while not all the stops have included media coverage, you’ll find features about Charlie Angus from Timmins, Sudbury (X2), North Bay, and Red Deer, along with Weyburn This Week’s report on ...

This and that for your Thursday reading. – James Wilt argues that the labour movement should be putting its weight behind green housing which will produce both social and environmental benefits along with jobs: Workers need affordable homes. Workers also need stable and properly compensated jobs, especially those transitioning from work in oil, gas and ...

This and that for your Thursday reading. – Martin Patriquin takes Saskatchewan’s increasing recognition of the Wall government’s institutional corruption to the national stage: Politicians who navigate a corrupted political system have some of the easiest jobs in the world. With the weight and legitimacy of the state behind them, they need not sell anything ...

This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Daniel Munro highlights how Uber and other service apps manipulate their workers. And The New York Times’ editorial board warns about the false promises of the gig economy: In reality, there is no utopia at companies like Uber, Lyft, Instacart and Handy, whose workers are often manipulated ...

Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Nick Falvo, Janice Chan and Chidom Otogwu point out that housing is just one of the areas where federal action is needed to reduce poverty and its social harms in Canada. And Falvo also reviews Greg Suttor’s “Still Renovating” as a worthwhile look at housing in Canada. – ...

This and that for your Thursday reading. – Erica Johnson reports that the problem of bank employees being pushed to fleece customers (legality be damned) is common to all of Canada’s major banks. And Lisa Wright reports that the result will be a national investigation. But it’s appalling that it took anonymous reports to the ...

Assorted content to end your week. – Paul Wells notes that the Trudeau Libs are having trouble keeping their story straight in pretending to appeal to Canada’s middle class. And Brent Patterson writes that the renegotiation of NAFTA is just one more area where the Libs aren’t interested in hearing from anybody but big business. ...

Assorted content to end your week. – Paul Wells notes that the Trudeau Libs are having trouble keeping their story straight in pretending to appeal to Canada’s middle class. And Brent Patterson writes that the renegotiation of NAFTA is just one more area where the Libs aren’t interested in hearing from anybody but big business. ...

This and that for your Tuesday reading: – Percy Downe notes that both the Harper Cons and Trudeau Libs have stood in the way of identifying and recouping tens of billions of dollars in unpaid taxes – leaving everybody else to pay the share of tax evaders. And Riley Sparks discusses how secret settlements – ...

This and that for your Tuesday reading: – Percy Downe notes that both the Harper Cons and Trudeau Libs have stood in the way of identifying and recouping tens of billions of dollars in unpaid taxes – leaving everybody else to pay the share of tax evaders. And Riley Sparks discusses how secret settlements – ...

This and that for your Sunday reading. – Carol Linnitt notes that British Columbia’s provincial pipeline spill map has been conspicuously disappeared by the Clark Libs in the lead up to an election where environmental protection is a major issue. And Kathy Tomlinson is the latest to highlight both the glaring lack of reasonable fund-raising ...

This and that for your Sunday reading. – Carol Linnitt notes that British Columbia’s provincial pipeline spill map has been conspicuously disappeared by the Clark Libs in the lead up to an election where environmental protection is a major issue. And Kathy Tomlinson is the latest to highlight both the glaring lack of reasonable fund-raising ...

Miscellaneous material to start your week. – CBC reports on Nav Persaud’s research showing how universal prescription drug coverage could produce improved health outcomes for a lower cost. But Scott Sinclair and Stuart Trew note that the Libs are instead taking us in the opposite direction with a combination of trade deals which tie governments’ ...

Miscellaneous material to start your week. – CBC reports on Nav Persaud’s research showing how universal prescription drug coverage could produce improved health outcomes for a lower cost. But Scott Sinclair and Stuart Trew note that the Libs are instead taking us in the opposite direction with a combination of trade deals which tie governments’ ...

Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson comment on the moral and practical harm done by continued inequality: Inequality matters because, as a robust and growing body of evidence shows, the populations of societies with bigger income differences tend to have poorer physical and mental health, more illicit drug use, ...

Assorted content to end your week. – The Canadian Labour Congress offers its suggestions as to how international trade agreements can be reworked to ensure a more fair global economy. But Bill Curry reports that we’re first more likely to see public interest regulation undermined from within Canada as the provinces sign away their authority ...